Here are 2 expecting ornaments I have been working on.

calla Lilly and Sweet Pea.

Kelly's ornament 2008

I made this for another friend of mine w/ a few of her favorite things.

We Heart Beer ornament 2008

I made this for a gfriend of mine; on it are a few of her favorite things. :D

Never leave a 2y/o alone w/ a table full of paints...

I bought a lil wooden tree for the boys to paint (something for them to bring out year to year), all was well until I turned my back on Sprout painting. A few minutes later I hear a farting sound........I look back and realized the 'farting' sound was actually a paint bottle being emptied.........Oy Vey.

We got cleaned up from this mess and I was off to do the dishes, leaving Sprout in the living room to play. 20 or so minutes later, I walk in to see that Sprout got his hands on my chap stick/lip gloss stuff.

Vintage pyrex...

I love my vintage pyrex bowls/dishes....don't they make the Tday dinner look even better?! :O)

Happy *late* Tday, ya'll!

Celebrating 6 years w/o sleep...Happy Birthday Hoss!

Yesterday was a fun and busy day. My lil man turned SIX! Wow, where does the time go? I do not feel as tho I am old enough to have a six year old.

We went to a local fire house for a little play date / birthday celebration for Hoss and a friend. The firemen really knew how to deal with a group of lil kids and how to just go with the flow... The kids really enjoyed looking at the truck and shootin water out of the hose.

We came home after the fire house so that sprout could nap. A few hours later we were on our way to go bowling. Hoss bowled a 66 on his sixth birthday (we thought that was kinda cool). As for me and hubby....we won't be joining any leagues anytime soon. hehe

Pizza hut was the last stop for the day...1 personal pizza for the birthday boy. Did you know that pizza hut has menu's now?! Shows you how long it has been since I have been to pizza hut to eat...I can tell you last time I was there, I was pregnant with Hoss. Geez!

We came home and watched Wall-e, cute movie, but I think that Al Gore directed it. The whole~if we don't change our ways this is what will happen to earth and humans~don't get me wrong....I recycle and I am all about the environment, but it could have been scaled back a little.

anyway, Happy Birthday Hoss!

ACEO's

I'm starting to like this ~

I am really starting to like drawing ACEO's (art cards, edition and original). It is a quick and easy way to do an original art piece. I did 5 today (the 5th is a pear, but I don't have it on the computer yet). It is also a good way to practice your drawing; you know the saying 'don't use it lose it'. I don't know what I would ever do if I could not draw, paint ~ basically, create things with my hands.

Sketching...

It has been so long since I have drawn that I was beginning to get worried (I don't know why?). I figured I should start small ~ I went with ACEO's (Art Cards, Editions and Originals), ACEO standard size is 2.5" x 3.5" (I said small). The idea behind ACEO is that anyone and everyone should be able to afford art.

I didn't do much, but sketch. I think they turned out pretty nice.

1st: 'Lips' (do I need to say more?)

2nd: was a perrrfect picture of a cat, but I turned my back for just a second and I see the picture all scratched up (you know how cats are...they scratch on everything) ~ 'Mischievous Cat'.

3rd: 'Master of Darkness the owl'.

4th: 'Eye see you' (insert bad music here), this is a sketch of an owl eye.

5th: 'A Bird', the bird is a little incomplete, but I like that look.

All can be found at my esty store: Starvnrtist.etsy.com

11-04-08

I enter a new chapter in my life tomorrow, a life as a Voter. I am in my 30's and never have I voted. I never felt the need and therefore, my opinion did not matter. I registered several months ago on RockTheVote and have been eagerly anticipating this day for me to cast my very first vote.

*Get out and VOTE!

Halloween 2008

We started out the week by buying the pumpkins - I have never spent $20 on pumpkins!!! Never!

I first cut a hole at the top and started pulling out all the guts - then I gave that job to Hoss, he thought it was gross. He really wanted to carve the pumpkin, but wasn't sure what he wanted: A car? A door? A scary face? Ended with a jack - o - lantern.
He did a great job poking holes right were I needed to cut. He was very excited with the end result, but then cried when the pumpkins had to go in the trash. Poor guy, his first pumpkin and we threw it away (shame on us!)

The husband, with no surprise, carved his vw truck onto his pumpkin and I did 3 ghost looking out a window (I should have scrapped it out more on the inside, I know better for next year).
*
We had 2 Halloween parties and we went to a spook alley, no need to go trick or treating. Here in small town USA, they do not really do the door to door thing, but have 2 main places for everyone to go, the mall and downtown. I am not one for crowds so we stayed clear of those.

The husband went as an US AirForce dude and might I say he was very good looking. I had to paint all the medals and pins on his costume, they looked good from a distance.

I went as an 80's chick, that was fun to do and by the way - what were we thinking back then?

Hoss went as a ghost musician: I made his guitar out of plastic corrugated coke ads (you can read how I did that several posts down).

Sprout went as a lil monster. The costume is big enough that if he wants he can wear it again next year.

~The pumpkins were carved and the candy was given out, another Halloween has come and gone.

Do you believe?

...in Ghost?


YouTube - Ghost Hunters '08 - Ghostly Conversation - Findings & Reveal
YouTube - Part 1 Ghost Hunters video evidence from multiple episodes
YouTube - Part 2 Ghost Hunters video evidence from multiple episodes


I have believed since I was a child, too many personal experiences.

Why do I do Shorinji Kempo?

Why do I do Kempo? ’taint no mystery
Need to have a good medical history
My physio told me Kempo is great
Help them blood cells circulate
Good for the lungs, great for the ticker
There ain’t nothin getcha in better shape quicker
Feels so healthy feels so sweet
Rotating my hips, moving my feet
Panting like a shire horse, sweating up a storm
Keeps me youthful, keeps me loose
Tightens my tummy and shrinks my caboose
Beats being sluggish, beats being lazy
Why do I do Kempo? Maybe I’m crazy!

Where are the manners?

What ever happened to manners?

I was raised down south and in the south people have manners and are polite. As a child you are brought up to say Please, Thank You, Sir and Ma'am. We raise our children in the same way. You would never go onto someone else's property to play unless you were asked to be there. The kids here do that all the time!

I have noticed a lot that kids these days just don't care.
I took my son to the bus stop this morning and other (older) kids were there also - one of the older girls threw a plastic bottle into the road and I told her to 'go get it' (no cars coming) and the other kids as well as this girl just look at me like 'I don't think so, No or I don't have to listen to you' (I am the only other parent there at the bus stop). The other mom (not a mother to these older kids) asked 'who threw that?' and the girl spoke up and the other mom said 'go get it' and she did ~ I always get a look of defiance from these older kids.

It isn't just the kids, young people/adults are just as rude.

Ugh! I don't get it!

Hold doors for people.
Give up seats.
Let those inside the elevator exit before you enter.

Mind your telephone manners.

Introduce people.
Say please, thank you, and you're welcome.
Respect elders.

*Common Courtesy

This just saddens me, knowing I am trying to do right by my kids, but the way others act will also have an effect on them.

My friend told me I have anger issues and I do, but due to the lack of respect from others.

I'm a STAR! lol, not really.

On a completely different note -

Summer of 2004 there was a movie being filmed in Mobile/Fairhope, AL. My husband and I were called to be extra's. The movie was being filmed under The Novice, it has Alan Arkin (Little Mrs. Sunshine), Jacob Pitts (Eurotrip/21), Amy Acker (Angel), Orsen Bean (Dr. Quinn Med Woman), etc...

I was in the beach part with a crowd of people walking around. It was a rather hot day and of course, I got a nasty sunburn (so, if you watch the movie and see a lobster walking around - that's me!) - I had fun, this is something I had never done before.

My husband was an extra in the soup kitchen. He had so much fun.

Over the past 4 years we have been searching and searching for The Novice....last night he said 'I found *our* movie' <~ like how we take possession of it?! lol The name has been changed, as it usually is, to Crossroads. I found a link and it looked good. Heck, even if it sucks we still want to own the dvd. What does it mean when a movie was filmed and goes straight to Showtime?

The life of a young Jesuit seminarian is turned upside down when he falls in love with a young woman while working as a volunteer at a soup kitchen.

So, if any of ya'll have Showtime (Showtime Too), the movie is being shown 5 times in October.

BTW - I will have to see if I can find my pics from that day.

Shiver Me Timbers!

Ahoy! Me hearty.

Aye, are ye ready to be speakin like a buccanneer? Today be national talk like a pirate day.

Avast ye landlubber and demand ye speak like ye pirate or walk the plank to Davy Jones' Locker ye be goin'.

Don't be a squiffy, don't be actin' like no sprog....

I be off fur some Grog.

Yo-ho-ho!

What do you smell like?

Perfume in your shampoo
Perfume in your conditioner
Perfume in your soap/body wash
Perfume in your body lotion
Perfume in your hand lotion
Perfume in your hair products
Perfume
Body mist/spray
Baby powder/oil/spit up
walking by a Perfume assassin at the mall/department store OR
lil old ladies that walk by you that have the MOST awful/smelly perfume on

might I add that they usually are all different. I have been thinking about this a lot and since tried to buy all non scent stuff, minus body mist/spray.

What do you smell like at the end of the day?

What it means to be a woman.

Be what you want to be rather than what you are told to be, Be the change you want to see in the world.

OOAK Christmas ornaments 2008

If you read my last post, you will see that I have been busy making OOAK (one of a kind)ornaments. I have listed a few at my etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14898406

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14887925

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14882618

*I do custom orders!

Polymer ornaments

I create whatever hits my fancy and right now that would be Christmas ornaments. I am only making a handful and if they go, I will create more. They are made from polymer clay and aluminum foil (make the core out of foil to lessen the cooking time and weight). Then they are all hand painted. I will take pictures before clear coating them (to keep down the glare). They will look similar to the picture above, but different characters.

Shrimp and Grits ~ Mmm!

For the grits:
3 cups water
salt (Must season water for grits!!!)
9 T instant grits.

For the shrimp:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound andouille or spicy Italian spicy sausage, cut in chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and de veined
Pinch cayenne pepper, adjust to personal preference
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 green onions, sliced

For the grits:
Bring salted water to a boil, add grits (stirring to prevent lumps) - turn to low and cook 20 min.

For the shrimp:
Place a deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic; saute for 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and continue to stir to avoid lumps. Toss in the bay leaves. When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp in the stock for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the gravy is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne pepper, Tabasco and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the parsley and green onion. Spoon the grits into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Halloween 2008

It is August and I am thinking/planning for Halloween (I Love Halloween!).

My 5y/o has decided that he wants to be in a band (they grow up so fast) - it's only appropriate that he be a guitarist (Ku-tar-ist, as he says it)....he has the old, worn out jeans and a t-shirt with guitars and flames on it. The only thing I have to make for him is a guitar (I am too cheap to go out and buy one), we have these sheets of corrugated plastic (used to be coke signs). I sketched out, what I thought his guitar should look like, using the coke sign as the decoration for the
ku-tar. I made 5 guitar bodies alike and cut the center out of 4 (I took a hole punch and made 10 holes in the top piece where the rubber bands go) - I still have to make the neck. Using rubber cement, I glued the guitar together; well, I am in the process of gluing - like I said, still have to make the neck and cut a section out of the guitar body for the neck to fit (I can see it in my head). My 5y/o wanted flames on it too, so my husband drew the flames on the inside of the center part and then I colored them in.
In all I have spent $2 on this project (glue and rubber bands), with the clothes maybe $8-$10.
Basically, this is more of an advanced pre-school/kindergarten guitar made from Kleenex box, rubber bands and paper towel roll.

My 2y/o (he will be 2 on Aug 22) is going to be a lil monster doll. I spent about a buck .40 on fabric and then am painting the eye and mouth on (made a few mistakes - got too anxious and played with it before the paint was dry - Oops! So, I have to go back and fix all those mistakes).
I will put a long sleeve shirt (similar in color to the fabric) and then black sweat pants to finish the costume.

My husband...we are playing with the idea of him being the Absinthe Fairy (Euro Trip), would not go to over the top with this, but a black Tee with Absinthe (in a chartreuse color) painted on the front - maybe wings? and I will try to talk him into a little eye makeup.

I have No clue as to what I will be?

I will post pics when I get everything finished.